Articulated Arm Technology

Articulated arm measurement systems use calibrated angle encoders and arm segments to determine the location of the end tip of the arm's probe. Articulated arms are used in many different applications, but primarily in industrial applications such as part-to-CAD inspection and reverse engineering.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The following is a list of advantages and disadvantages of using articulated arm technology:

Advantages	Disadvantages
State good single point repeatability Available in large variety of sizes/measurement volumes Independent of keyboard (mouse functions)	Awkward to manoeuver Large arms can be cumbersome Mechanical linkages can produce unreliable results depending on joint orientation No dynamic referencing possible - must be attached to object if movement suspected

Summary

In the past, articulated arms were used in medical tracking applications, however, the obstacles of maneuvering these arms limited the user's motions and as a result, articulated arms are no longer the preferred choice of tracking in medical applications. Optical and electromagnetic tracking solutions offer similar benefits to articulated arms, but overcome the limitations of movement.